Genesis 1:26 tells us that God planned to create man in His image. The very next verse tells us that God followed through with His plan and created man in His image. Genesis 9:6 tells us that man is created in God’s image. That repetition was not to waste space or to fill up the page. God was not writing an assigned paper with a minimum word limit. Rather, God wanted to make sure that the fact that we are created in His image did not escape our notice. Genesis 2:7 tells us that man became a living being when God breathed the breath of life into him. The Ten Commandments prohibit murdering a human being. Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1, Job 31, and Isaiah 44 all speak of God’s care for humans while still in the womb. A recurring theme in the Bible is the admonition to care for the weak among us, the young, the old, the orphan, the widow, the aged. Human life is important to God from beginning to end. God created humans and gave them His very breath, the spark of life. Human life is sacred in God’s sight and should be in ours.

January 19, 2014 is “Sanctity of Life Sunday” which celebrates God’s marvelous gift of life to His creation. Twenty-first century America needs this celebration more than ever. Civic discourse is anything but civil these days. Political disagreement which should be over issues of governmental policy generally avoids the issues. Rather, it is mostly personal attack. The entertainment industry churns out movies, video games, television shows, music, etc. that show an incredible callousness to human life. Worse, parents allow their children to consume this trash at an alarming rate. Our public policy toward the poor and needy among us is degrading and lacks any idea of human dignity. Abortion mills slaughter babies by the millions. Our society creeps toward killing the unwanted in our society after birth. Granny-dumping and pro-euthanasia support indicates that we are moving toward eliminating older people who have become a problem to us. Child welfare offices are flooded with real abuse cases to investigate. The foster parent system is stretched to the breaking point. Serial killings are commonplace. Mass murders seem to be in the newspapers monthly. Human trafficking is at an all-time high. Pornography is a multi-billion dollar sewer. I could go on but you get the idea. You knew it before you started reading this column. You just didn’t want to think about it.

You may not be able to change the things I just mentioned, but I imagine you could make a far greater impact than you imagine. Whatever the reality is in that regard, I do know this, you can make a difference. You can engage people with whom you disagree with a greater civility and dignity. You can refuse to watch or purchase violent entertainment (can we legitimately call it entertainment?). You can refuse to allow your children or grandchildren (when they are under your care) to watch or listen to violent material. You can guide out of control families to get help in raising their children. You can serve at a crisis pregnancy center. You can work through your local church to care for widows and orphans. The list is endless. You can begin to promote God’s view of human life which is holy and sacred because we are created in His image. Speak of this truth to those you come in contact with. Teach it to your children and grandchildren. Politics and legislation is a band-aid on gangrene. Helping others to see life as God sees life is the cure. ..……..…..pastorsteve8800@gmail.com